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Charles II returned to England after his exile in France and brought with him a lot of changes. The court was devoted to pleasure, fashion and gossip, and there was significant support for drama and music.
There's a period of dichotomy in society: dignity coexisted with excess, purity with immorality, and simplicity with ornamentation. -
In 1665 the bubonic plague hit England. -
It destroyed almost all of London, and the architect Cristopher Wren planned to reconstruct the capital.
We know about this fire thanks to the writings of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. -
Parliament emanated it to impose a clear distinction with Roman Catholicism. Only people taking communion in the Church of England were eligible for public employment. -
The Parliament was divided into two factions: the Tories, the supporters of the king and his favoured successor, his catholic brother James, and the Whigs, composed of nobles and merchants who preferred religious tolerance of protestant dissenters. -
James II, the Catholic, succeeded Charles II.
He was a widower, and his heirs were two protestant daughters: Ann and Mary. Ann was married to the ruler of Denmark, and Mary to William of Orange, ruler of Holland. -
The proclamation of William of Orange and Mary Stuart as monarchs represents a revolution because, for the first time, the monarch was chosen by Parliament and not by divine right.
It's called "Glorious" or "Bloodless" because there hasn't been any bloodshed. -
It introduced more religious tolerance by granting freedom of worship to dissenting Protestants but excluded Catholics. -
William of Orange was concerned about the position of James II against protestants. For this reason, he secretly negotiated with English Parliament and forced the king to escape with his new wife and baby son.
William and Mary were elected by Parliament and became joint monarchs. -
It's a document signed by William of Orange with which Parliament alone could raise taxes, pass laws and control an army. So, the Crown could only rule with Parliament. -
Queen Mary died in 1694, leaving no heirs. -
Parliament passed this document, ensuring a Protestant succession to the English throne and declared Anne, Mary's sister, a legitimate heir. -
After William III's death, Anne became queen in 1702. She was a very popular queen and made important political decisions. -
In 1707 this act was passed and marked the birth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain with a single Parliament in Westminster. England and Scotland were part of the same kingdom, while Ireland remained separate. -
This treaty was signed with France at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, in which England was against France.
England obtained the French possessions in Canada and the monopoly of the slave trade with Spanish America.
In addition to that, France had to recognise the Protestant succession. -
Queen Anne died in 1714, and George I, Duke of Hanover, succeeded her.